The present invention relates to a process for the production of hydrogen, wherein hydrogen gas is produced from a cathode or an opposite electrode by photoelectrolysis of water utilizing the photoreactivity of an electrolyte or the so-called photogalvanic effect without utilizing the photochemical effect of the electrode itself.
Heretofore, the use of a semiconductor electrode has been described in Chemical Engineering News, Sept. 3, 1979, page 29 in a process for producing hydrogen fuel by electrolysis of water utilizing sun light. However, this process employs the photochemical effect of the semiconductor itself, so that the kind of semiconductor to be used is restricted. Furthermore, the electrode itself is subjected to a photo-dissolution reaction, so that many steps required to prevent the occurrence of the photo-dissolution reaction. Therefore, semiconductor electrodes which can produce hydrogen with high efficiency have not yet been developed.